Anastasia's Resurrection
by Seraphdragon7
Summary: Cinderella's stepsister Anastasia is changing for the good, she is in love with the baker and trying to get over the past and become a better person. But will her cold-hearted cruel mother and sister keep making her life miserable?
1. Chapter 1 Christmas Time

The Bread of Life

And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." John 6:35

"I am the living bread which comes down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of this world." John 6:51

"But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks us you. And form him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise." Luke 6:21

Anastasia Tremaine sat in a strait back chair in her room next to the window with the curtains drawn back, allowing the sunlight to flood the room and provide plenty of reading light for the letter she held in her hands. The sunshine shone on her bright red hair and homely face. Outside the sun reflected on the shining white snow that covered the ground and trimmed the trees, bushes, roofs and windows of the buildings. After a brief glimpse outside Anastasia turned back to her letter and read it eagerly. It was a love letter from her first and only sweetheart, the village baker named Ben Miller. It read:

_My Dearest Anastasia,_

_I hope your mother is not too angry with you for continuing our relationship. I know she wants you to marry a gentleman of wealth and title, but you should choose the man who makes you happy. Money cannot buy happiness, although so many have tried. My family has always believed in marrying for love. I know your mother has a heart somewhere and she really does love you as her child._

_I do not believe she will carry out her threat to expel you from the house if you continue to see me. If she does, you can live with my parents and me. Ever since my sister got married and left home we've had an extra bedroom. Since it is winter, I don't think your mother would be cruel enough to throw you out into the cold._

_Christmas is coming, I have always loved Christmas ever since I was a little boy it is my favorite holiday. I will be very busy this time of year making holiday treats to sell to the public. Of course I will take time off for you. I will make you some of my very best Christmas cookies, gingerbread houses, bon-bons, Yule log cakes, Christmas pies and eggnog for you. Maybe once your mother tastes my Christmas goodies she will not think my cooking is inferior anymore. _

_I'm glad you got to meet my family, although they really would like to get to know you better. I wish you could come to church with us at our little church, Christ Alliance Church that is near the Evergreen Park with the large Christmas tree on Nightingale Street. Please come for the service on Sunday, December seventh. It will be special. I hope to see you there. I love you very much you are special to me. I hope this Christmas will be the best you've ever had, and the magic of the season will last forever in our love. _

_With all my love, yours truly,_

_Ben Miller_

Anastasia finished reading the letter and was about to fold it up when her sister Drizella came into the room and snatched the letter from her hand.

"What's this?" She began to read the letter. "Oh, it's from your lover-boy. Mother, Anastasia's still seeing that baker!" Drizella ran form the room with the letter, and Anastasia chased her. "Give it back, it's mine!"

Drizella ran down the hall and down the stairs with the letter. Anastasia ran after her. "Come back here, that's my letter!"

"Mother, Anastasia has a love letter from that fat dough-boy shopkeeper you told her not to see!" Drizella called out.

Lady Hortense Tremaine heard the commotion and came to the staircase, to see Anastasia trip and fall and come rolling down the stairs, knocking Drizella down and bringing her falling down the stairs with her. They landed in a heap of magenta and chartreuse-yellow skirts at the bottom of the staircase.

"Owe!" both girls said. Lady Tremaine took the letter from Drizella and carefully pocketed it.

"Really girls, you should be more careful." She said, but she did not bother to help them get up.

"Get off me!" Drizella said to Anastasia. Anastasia slowly and painfully got to her feet. She had some bruises from falling down the stairs.

"Well, Anastasia, I see you continue to defy me by receiving letters from that shopkeeper you went to the ball with. Do you really think that a mere _baker_ will make the sort of husband you truly desire? Can he support you in the manner you are accustomed to? Can he supply you with fine dresses and jewels, and a proper house to live in? What sort of place do you think you'd live in as the wife of a baker? You will have no servants and you might even have to live with his family, you will have to perform daily chores and be polite to his family and the customers in his shop. You will have to stoop to bowing and scraping to the commoners who shop at his bakery so he will not loose his business." Her mother narrowed her pale green eyes in her narrow face, with lines around the eyes and mouth. She had her iron gray hair shot with silver kept in the pompadour style that made her face look even more intimidating. Lady Hortense Tremaine wore a high-necked silk dress of maroon with a square violet collar and cuffs.

Anastasia stood before her mother and twisted her hands together nervously. She had hands that were not the pretty, dainty little hands of a fine lady, but were too big and rough, clumsy hands with long fingers that had big knuckles and fingernails that tended to break off easily. Her mouth felt dry, hot and stuffy. She knew she had to stand up to her mother.

"I imagine it wouldn't be so bad." She said quietly. "Ben is a very successful baker. After all, now that Cinderella is gone I have to do the chores here anyway."

"Hey, I do chores too, ya know!" Her sister interrupted with her hands on her hips.

"So, you still persist with this romance. Very well, we will see where it leads. It may be that it will break up on its own, and you will learn your lesson with your very first heart break." Her mother turned and walked coldly away, the sound of her ebony cane thumping on the marble floor made her shudder.

Not knowing what to do, Anastasia sought her stepsister Cinderella's advice. Cinderella had once acted as servant and maid to her stepmother and stepsisters after her father died. Lady Tremaine pressured Cinderella's dying father to sign a will that made her the inheritor of the estate so that Cinderella would lose her inheritance after her father died. Hortense Tremaine inherited the manor and Cinderella had to work to earn her keep if she wanted to stay. Anastasia wondered why she submitted to doing all the manual labor and household chores necessary to keep the family going. Why did she put up with such abuse, with the constant demands, orders, insults, hard work, and threats, when she could have left and gotten a better job? Yet through it all, Cinderella remained kind and cheerful, she worked hard to keep the house clean and a good meal on the table and never complained. Why?

Cinderella was finally rewarded when she received the opportunity to go to a ball at the royal castle and dance with the prince. No one knows where she got her beautiful sparkling pale blue ball gown and glass slippers, or where her magnificent carriage and its handsome prancing white horses and coach men came from. She greatly impressed the prince, and they fell deeply in love after meeting that one time. The prince was determined to have Cinderella for his bride; he would marry only her. At midnight she fled from the royal castle for reasons unknown, leaving behind a tiny glass slipper. The slipper was his only clue to Cinderella's identity, so the prince had every maiden in the kingdom try on the slipper until at last it fit Cinderella's foot and they were reunited and married.

Now Cinderella was a princess, she lived in the royal castle with the prince, his father the king, the grand duke, Prudence the minister of hospitality, and several other advisers, officials, courtiers, guards, and servants. Cinderella didn't allow her new position and wealth to change her. She still remained warm, friendly, kind, loving, gentle, caring, honest and hard working.

In the summer of this year Cinderella had been instrumental in putting Anastasia and Ben together. It started on the summer solstice, which was popular for its tradition of young lovers giving each other a garland of flowers, so that they would be together forever. On summer solstice night there was a ball held at the castle. Anastasia met Ben a few days before the summer solstice. It was the smell of fresh-baked bread that led Anastasia to Ben's bakery. She found Ben taking loaves of fresh-baked bread out of the oven and they bumped into each other.

Usually, Anastasia has a personality to match her homely appearance. She is mean, rude, selfish, immature and insulting. But when she saw Ben's sweet face and his gentle brown eyes so warm and kind, with a welcoming smile, something in her melted. She found herself smiling for the first time in ages. Ben was nice to her and he didn't even know her. Something about the baker brought up feelings she had never felt, or at least had been buried so deep she thought she would never have to face them. She was about to try one of his warm toasty fresh baguettes when her mother came into the shop and knocked the bread from her hands. Her snobby, proud mother glared around the baker's shop and coldly declared everything in it to be inferior.

Lady Tremaine marched her daughters out of the bakery. She ordered Anastasia not to say another word to the 'shopkeeper' Anastasia's face fell. What could she do? Her mother had forbidden her to see the baker again. But she felt something so strong for him. Could it be love?

Then Cinderella and her mice interfered. The mice got the baker's attention and he chased them, then the bluebirds snatched off Anastasia's bonnet and led her back to the bakery. Anastasia met the baker a second time, they told each other their names, but then the baker's horse, spooked by the mice and birds, kicked Anastasia with his rear legs into the bakery, right into the dough making ingredients on the counter. Anastasia lay on the floor covered in milk, eggs, floor and yeast. Ben was surprised and tried to help her up, but she was humiliated and ran out of the store.

The people in town recognized Anastasia Tremaine, the mean bratty girl who had picked on so many of them. So they laughed at her humiliation. Poor Anastasia fled from the mocking laughter and found a quiet little fountain at the cul-de-sac of a narrow street.

Here Cinderella found her. She offered her help. Cinderella took her back to the castle and got her cleaned up. She gave Anastasia a pretty lavender satin dress and purple ribbon for her neck. Then she gave her stepsister some very good advice on how to get people to like you. You start by being lovable. In order to be a princess, you must act like a princess and be one in your heart. You're not fully dressed without your smile. True beauty is the inner beauty of a good heart. Anastasia thought about these things. She went home and planned on sneaking out to buy a garland of flowers for Ben.

The day before solstice day, her mother found her sitting at her vanity mirror in her bedroom wearing a plush yellow and cream-colored bathrobe brushing her long carrot red hair. Then, after her mother was gone, she threw off the bathrobe to reveal the lavender satin dress Cinderella gave her and put on her matching shoes and ran to the kitchen and threw all the bread out the window, which landed on Lucifer the cat who was outside. "Mother, I have to go to town, we're out of bread!" She yelled. She quickly dashed out the door and into the carriage Cinderella had hired for her use and went into town to meet Ben.

In town Anastasia went to the booth selling the flower garlands. She bought a heart-shaped garland of lavender roses. As she was leaving the booth, she turned and saw Ben the baker with another girl, a very pretty girl their age in a blue dress with dark brown ringlets and fair skin. He held a garland identical to the one she got for him out to her for her to inspect. The girl smiled broadly and patted his arm. She whispered something in his ear.

Anastasia could bear it no longer. Obviously Ben was in love with this girl and not with her. Why would he lover her anyway? She was ugly, mean, rude and stupid. Anastasia ran away from the booth and came to the well. She sat down by the well, her garland beside her, and began to cry. She cried as if her heart would break. A horrible old goat came along and tried to eat her rose garland, she grabbed it and tried to pull it away from him, the two of them tugging on the garland made of lavender roses and supple wicker sticks and wire made the thing come apart, the goat chomped on the delicious roses.

Ben came and shooed the goat away. He sat down beside Anastasia and titled her head up with his finger. She drew back.

"Don't look at me, I look horrible!"

"No, you don't." He picked up a ragged lavender rose with most of its petals torn off. It looked more like a daisy than a rose. He tucked it in her hair behind her ear. "It wasn't what you thought, she was just a friend. I like you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Anastasia wiped away her tears and smiled. She placed her hand in Ben's and he helped her up. "I would be honored if you would go to the summer solstice ball with me." Ben asked her.

"I would love to!" She replied enthusiastically.

Then her mother came by the well and found them.

"Anastasia there you are! How dare you defy me by continuing to see this common shopkeeper. Dear child, you know it is only your best interest I have at heart. He will not make a good husband. This is only puppy love, mere childish affection. You will grow out of it and find yourself a man of wealth and title who will be able to properly support you. Come along, enough of these games, you've had your fun, now it's time to be serious about finding the right man…." She went to take Anastasia by the hand and lead her out of town and back to their house. But Anastasia pulled out of her mother's grip.

"No mother, you're wrong. Ben is a good man, he is sweet and kind and hardworking. I really do care for him. He works hard at his trade and even though he's not rich he is good at what he does. I am serious about him, and we will go to the ball together."

Lady Tremaine's mouth dropped open in shock to hear her daughter stand up to her. How dare she? Where did she get the nerve? Then she saw Cinderella standing near the well wearing one of her old maid's dresses with her arms folded across her chest looking pleased with herself. So this was her doing. But of course. She probably encouraged the romance. Lady Tremaine saw that she could do nothing now to stop her daughter Anastasia from going to the ball with the baker. She was defeated. Drizella watched her sister defy their mother with surprise, and looked at her sister's new beau with jealousy. Even though he was common he was sweet and fairly good-looking and nice. She had somebody to love. If only she could find somebody like that.

Anastasia put the lavender dress to use by spending the rest of the day in town with Ben. They went to each other's favorite places. Then took her home and she met his parents. They were very nice. His father was a miller, and his mother and grandmother superb cooks. He had learned about baking from his mother and grandmother. His mother worked as a baker's assistant, and when he was old enough he got the same kind of job. He took over more of the baking when the old baker he worked for got arthritis could do less of the work himself. Eventually the old baker retired and sold the shop to Ben's mother. Ben's mother knew how much her son liked baking and how important the job was to him so she let him handle most of the baking while she kept track of the income. They used plenty of family recipes and had quite a collection of recipes and cookbooks. Rachel Miller greeted Anastasia with a hug and a plate full of chocolate chip cookies.

At the summer solstice ball Anastasia danced with Ben wearing a lovely primrose yellow chiffon ball gown she borrowed from Cinderella. Ben looked quite handsome in his Prussian blue broadcloth suit with shiny gold buttons and gold trim. Cinderella wore a sea green silk ball gown with a darker green bodice and turquoise jewelry set in silver. Prince Edward, Cinderella's husband, wore an elegant uniform with a white coat with a red sash across it, gold epaulets, buttons and medals, and blue pants with a gold stripe down the sides. The prince also wore his gold crown.

Anastasia had the best time she'd ever had at that ball. She fell in love with Ben, and knew it was real love. Anastasia was surprised that he could love her. After all, she had very few likeable characteristics. Anastasia had not always been a mean, ugly, bratty, rude immature and rotten stepsister. Life had not gone well for her family, and that is what brought them to their current bitterness and self-centeredness.


	2. Chapter 2 Reminensing the past

Anastasia's Resurrection

Chapter 2: The Stepsisters' Story

Feeling confused and unworthy of Ben's love, Anastasia confided in Cinderella over tea at the castle. "I love him but I don't know what to do. Mother really doesn't like him. I have nothing to offer Ben. I can't cook, so I can't help him out in the bakery. I can't sew and I hate to clean, I'm bad at gardening my green thumb is more like a black thumb, I would be no good at keeping the books for him either because I'm bad at math and reading too." She said.

"Well, there must be something you're good at." Said Cinderella. "Everybody has their niche in the world, everyone has some kind of talent."

"Drizella says I can't sing good either, but then she sings like a wounded hound dog herself. I don't think I'm good at music either." Suddenly her dark grayish green eyes lit up as she thought of something. "I know! I'm good at telling people what to do. And if there's something wrong with something or somebody, I can tell them about that too."

"Well, I don't know if that counts as a talent, Anastasia." Cinderella said. "How about sports, are you good at sports?"

"Oh yes, I loved to play baseball and soccer when I was a little girl. I also like to ride horses, run and swim. But then my mother made me stop, she said it was unladylike, and that a girl should not play like a boy. I still have good aim, and I can hit whatever I throw things at." Said Anastasia.

Cinderella replied, "That sounds like a useful talent.

Anastasia said, "I haven't played baseball in years. Mother won't even let me go to a game. I don't see how it will help Ben run his business though."

"Do you really love him?"

"Well I.. I'm not sure. He makes me feel so happy when I'm with him. But I love my mother, and my mother disapproves of him. She wants me to marry a rich nobleman. She thinks he's too poor and common, but she doesn't even know him, nor does she want to take the time to get to know him. I hate to disappoint my mother. "

"You know your mother does not do what is right. Look at the way she treated me after my father died. She cares only about herself. That is why she wants you or your sister to marry into money, so she can live comfortably."

Anastasia's back stiffened with anger at this, she clinched her hands into fists and her grayish green eyes flashed with anger. "You would say that, since we made you into the maid." Then she thought about it. There was a long moment of silence as Cinderella sipped her tea and Anastasia thought about how she and her family had wronged her stepsister.

Anastasia began to feel guilty for the first time. She found herself unable to look Cinderella in the eye. "Why did you put up with it? You could have done something, told us you've had enough, gone to a lawyer, or run away, or something."

"Before he died my father made me promise I would try to keep the family together. I am a Christian, and I obey the Bible when it says not to repay evil with evil but to overcome evil with good. I wanted to see my stepfamily come to know Jesus Christ as I have known him. I know you go to church for social reasons, Hortense makes you and Drizella go to church every Sunday to make yourselves look good in the eyes of society. But you do not have real faith. Only true and sincere faith can save you, and it starts with repentance. I became your servant because Christ served his disciples. He said whoever wants to be the greatest in the kingdom must be the one who serves the most. I wanted you and your mother and sister to love me like family, since yours was the only family I had left. But it seemed all you all wanted was free labor."

"I always hated to work you know." Anastasia said. "I was born lazy. I don't know about faith, God hasn't really help me much except for bringing Ben into my life. My father's business partner betrayed him and cheated him so that we went broke, and because of that Papa became ill and died. I was only seven years old when this happened. Then we were broke and in debt and had to sell almost all of our things.

"Mama got a job as a governess to a family with three spoiled, bratty little boys. They were very rich, and we went to live with them but had rooms in the servants quarters. The boys harassed us daily, one of them put a garter snake in our room, and Drizella and I were very frightened, we hate snakes the same way we hate rats. They tried to beat us up, and when I fought back and punched one of them in the eye, the housekeeper beat me and had me locked in an attic room with no food. Mother tried to keep the boys in line, but their parents let them get away with anything while Drizella and I were strictly punished for the least little thing, even though most of the time it was their fault. There were other servant children who had to put up with the same deal.

"Finally, mother met your father, Squire Goodman, when he was a guest of her employers. They fell in love and he asked her to marry him. We were so relieved to get out of that house ruled by those uppity snobs with their out of control bratty little boys and the mean servants.

"You and your father were so nice and for a while everything was fine, then years later your father grew ill. Mama was determined not to let us lose everything again. So she had Squire Goodman change his will so that she would be the sole inheritor of the estate when he died. Your father was very reluctant to sign it. Finally when he was in a fever she got him to sign the papers making her his heir. Then he died. We couldn't afford to pay the servants so we had to let them go. We had the nice house and the land around it, and all the fancy furnishings. You said that in your childhood you did not have many servants and you were used to helping the servants clean the house. So it only made since that you would take over the housemaid's job. And none of us can cook, but you can, so you also did the cooking since we can't fix anything decent to eat."

Cinderella listened to her stepsister tell her side of the story and felt herself growing angry. She realized it was too late for that, perhaps she should have said something to protest the way they treated her while she served as their maid. Now she was the one in power, she was a princess now, she could have then put in the dungeon, she could make them into her servants, could exile them or even have them executed. But she had done none of that. Instead she had chosen to forgive them.

That was the Christian thing to do, it was what Jesus would do, it was what the Bible told us to do. Still, a part of her wished she had done something to get revenge. Did Anastasia think just because she and her family had suffered that excused her bad behavior? Hadn't she suffered as well?

Her mother died giving birth to her. Then her father decided she needed a mother and he remarried a widow with two daughters of her own. Later on her father got sick and her stepmother tricked him into signing a will that made her the heir of the entire estate so that Cinderella was left with nothing and would have to live off of her stepmother's generosity. Her father died and she lost the person she loved and depended on most in the world. She was forced into a servant's place in her own home. But she knew one day things would get better. She relied on her faith in God to help her through the dark times. She never lost hope and remained helpful and kind. She tried to be a good influence on her stepmother and stepsisters. However, it would take a miracle to break the ice in Lady Hortense Tremaine-Goodman's heart.


	3. Chapter 3 Shelter of the church

**The Bread of Life**

**Chapter III**

**On December seventh Anastasia went to Ben Miller's church, Christ Alliance Church. The church was part of a fundamentalist protestant branch of Christianity called the Christian and missionary alliance, that was a lot like the Baptist branch. They believed in being born again, that is you must repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ's death on the cross and resurrection as payment for the debt of your sins so you can enter heaven. This is called getting saved. Once you are saved you start a new life as a born again Christian. Only people who are saved can be baptized as a proclamation of faith. The Christian and missionary Alliance follows the Protestant Bible as the true and complete holy word of God and uses it to solve disputes in the church. **

**Anastasia had never been to a church like this before. Her family usually attended St. James Episcopalian Church, a local Anglican church. Her family, friends and neighbors looked down upon 'holy rollers', 'fanatics' or 'Jesus freaks', as they called the less formal, less ceremonial, more charismatic, dedicated, Biblical, faithful and obedient Christians. Hortense Tremaine in particular used religion as a tool to improve her esteem and reputation in society. There were many other people at St. James who attended church for the same reason. **

**Christ Alliance Church was a not as big as the wealthier churches, neither was it some tiny country church. It was built from red bricks and wood, and was a sturdy structure. It contained the main worship sanctuary, which was quite large, the hall, the pastor and his secretary's office, the choir practice room, the assistant pastor's office, Sunday school rooms, the fellowship hall where the congregation met informally, and the pantry where food and even clothes and blankets were stored to give to the needy. **

**Anastasia wore her emerald green velvet winter dress trimmed in brown beaver's fur that had a matching coat with a hood. Her shoes were black patent leather ankle boots and she wore black leather gloves. Cinderella went to Christ Alliance Church with her. She wore a white fur coat and fur hat over a red, blue and green plaid dress. Prince Edward had to go with his father and the rest of his household to the cathedral where they usually worshipped. Anastasia met Ben at the courtyard. **

**Anastasia was uncomfortable and nervous at this church. Most of the people were dressed rather casual and seemed to be lower working class people. **

**Ben wore a black wool fur-lined coat over his navy suit and a felt hat. His mother Rachel was with him wearing a brown fur coat and blue dress. His father Paul was there along with his sister Lydia and her husband Jonathan. **

**Not wanting to stand out in the cold any longer than necessary, they quickly went into the church after greeting each other. This church's sanctuary interior was much more humble and plain than the churches Anastasia was used to. The long narrow windows were made of blue glass in diamond-shaped panes held together by bands of iron. The floor was made of stone. The pews were of plain oak wood, so was the altar, pulpit, the choir stands, organ, baptismal, and the simple cross on the back wall behind the pulpit. There were two brick fireplace on the left and right walls with fires burning cheerily in them to warm the church goers. The altar was covered with a white linen cloth embroidered in a design of holly berries and leaves, and eight-point gold stars. The ladies of the church had made some nativity banners and tapestries for Christmas to decorate the church, which hung proudly on display over the brick walls. There were three of them. One of them showed a crude figure of an angel in a red robe with white-feathered wings, blond hair, and a golden halo playing a trumpet in a sapphire night sky filled with stars. The words GLORIA IN EXCELSES DEO were embroidered boldly across the top. The second one showed the Madonna and Child in the stable, the Virgin Mary wearing her blue dress and white veil holding baby Jesus in her arms wrapped up in swaddling clothes. The last one showed a white dove beneath the gold star on top of a Christmas tree filled with colorful decorations. **

**Anastasia sat down with Ben's family in the left side to the back. The other church goers began to enter and fill the church. Soon it was time for the service to start and the organist began to play the organ and the choir started to sing. Everyone stood up and sang with the choir to 'Amazing grace.' Then they sang 'Oh come Immanuel,' then 'Joy to the World,' and then last of all 'What child is this?' **

**After the songs of praise the pastor went up to the pulpit and began to make announcements. **

"**Welcome, brethren, to worship with us this crisp winter morning at Christ Alliance church. We are now in the Advent season that I know many of you love so much, it is a time to remember as we shiver in the cold winter snow that our God who loves us and cares for us so much, left the perfect luxury of heaven and came down to Earth to be born as a human being, a helpless little baby, to take our place of death and suffering on the cross to pay the debt for our sins. The best way of keeping warm in the winter is to stay near your loved ones, and let their loving embraces warm your heart and soul not just during the holidays but all year round. **

"**Now, let's see. First, I would like to thank the kind ladies in the craft club for making the beautiful altar cloth, banners and tapestries we have in the sanctuary. You did a magnificent job ladies, your work is very beautiful. Today we are having lunch at the church after services, so please stay and enjoy the delicious feast we have from the many dishes our members brought from home." **

**Our usual Christmas pageant will be on the evenings of December 20th****, December 21, December 22nd, and December 24****th****. The tickets are ten silver coins. It is a great way to witness to your unsaved friends and family members by inviting them to a Christmas pageant. In the Holiday season people are much more open to the gospel message. We must take advantage of this special time of year when the Lord showed the world how much he loved us by becoming one of us. **

**That's it for our announcements. Please open your Bibles to Luke 1:46-55. This is the Magnificat, Mary's song of adoration for the Lord. **

"**And Mary said,**

'**My soul magnifies the Lord, **

**And my spirit has rejoiced in God my savior.**

**For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; **

**For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. **

**For He who is mighty has done great things for me,**

**And holy is His name. **

**And His mercy is on those who fear Him,**

**From generation to generation. **

**He has shown strength with His arm;**

**He has scattered the proud in the **

**Imagination of their hearts. **

**He has put down the mighty from their thrones,**

**And exalted the lowly.**

**He has filled the hungry with good things,**

**And the rich he has sent away empty. **

**He has helped His servant Israel,**

**In remembrance of His mercy,**

**As He spoke to our fathers,**

**To Abraham and to his seed forever."**

"**In the Magnificat, the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ acknowledges the Lord's blessing on her that she has been chosen above all other young women to be the mother of the savior. Imagine how surprised, how shocked she must have been. She must have been afraid, after all as a virgin betrothed to be married she was expected to wait until after the wedding ceremony before having relations with Joseph, so she could be accused of sleeping with someone else, which would be adultery, punishable by death. Joseph was probably not a withered old man as the Catholics portray him; he must have been in his twenties or thirties. Joseph must have been disappointed in his betrothed, but he loved her too much to let Mary be stoned to death for alleged adultery. How relieved he must have been when the angel came to him in a dream and told him that unborn baby in Mary's womb was of the Holy Spirit. **

**Mary loved the Lord, which was why she was chosen for this monumental job of raising the son of God. Mary was willing to serve and obey God. It was her servant's heart to obey God's will no matter how hard, difficult or painful it may be that has made her 'blessed among women' throughout history, in Jesus' time, the early church, and today."**

"**Mary and Joseph were both willing to listen to God's voice and obey it. They went to Bethlehem to pay Caesar's tax, but whether they knew it or not they were fulfilling Old Testament prophecy that the Messiah would be born in the city of David. King David of Israel was called the 'beloved' of the Lord God, because he had a heart for the Lord, but unfortunate sin slipped into his life and made his family quarrel, fight and rebel against God's teachers. His children rebelled against him and committed some heinous sins. There is David's famous sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and then he tried to cover it up by having her husband Uriah killed in the frontline of battle so he could marry Bathsheba and pretend the child of adultery was legitimate. Despite this, David did his best to please the Lord. He repented of his sin with a broken heart. **

**Everybody sins; we all fall on our faces sometime. Some people consider their sins to be minor compared to someone else's. According to God all sins are the same. Jesus Christ was born into the world because of sin, to save us from it through his death on the cross. The blood of Jesus shed on the cross is the only thing that can cleanse us from our sins. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ and believe he is the savior of the world and son of God, we repent and are sorry for our sins and beg Jesus to live in our hearts, minds and souls with His Holy Spirit, we are saved and need no longer fear death and hell. **

**The Devil tried to destroy that little baby born the savior of the world on Christmas Eve night in the form of the wicked King Herod who wanted to kill baby Jesus when the three wise men came to him and asked about the baby born king of the Jews. Before the wise men from the east, the magi, came, Herod probably did not know anything about Jesus. The Lord protected Joseph and Mary as they fled with young Jesus to Egypt. **

**Jesus Christ came as a baby to start the beginning cycle of human life on earth. God could have come as a grown man, but He wanted to experience every part of the human life cycle. God became a man and took our place of suffering and death on the cross. He defeated Satan who held the power of death previously, after Christ died he went down to the bowels of the earth, to Hades, the grave, land of the dead, called Sheol by the Hebrews and there he freed the prisoners, the old testament Jews, the prophets and pagans who had lived righteously, I think he freed all but the most evil of souls. Jesus Christ stormed the gates of hell and set the captives free, he opened the gates and broke the chains and shackles, and he fought and wounded Satan. Christ struck down Satan and took from him the keys to death and Hades. Now God has the power of death. Yes, people still die, but there is a place called heaven God has made for us, in my Father's house there are many mansions. If you are wondering what will happen to you when you die, well ask yourself this question, who or what do you put your faith in? When you are in trouble, who would you turn to? If you turn to a human person or have no reliable source, I suggest you turn to the God of the Bible, the Lord Jehovah and his Son Jesus Christ the Savior of the world. Turn to God, and he will give you a place in a mansion in heaven so you needn't fear what will happen to your soul after death. In this life, too, God will be with you all throughout your life as a comforter and counselor; He will protect you through his angels and guide you on the right path, put the light of love and hope into your life. Heaven or hell, the choice is up to you my friend." Pastor Steve finally ended his sermon. **

**The choir and congregation got up and sang "Hark the herald angels sing," "Silent Night," "The Little Drummer Boy" and O Little Town of Bethlehem." **

**When church was over, Anastasia was relieved. She was getting bored and hungry. **

**The members of the church were having lunch in the meeting room at the church. The meeting room was big enough to hold several families that came to eat. There were long tables set up with white table cloths and a fireplace had a warm fire burning in it. The food was on tables set against the wall in a row. There was ham, turkey, sausage, goose, chicken, roast beef, potatoes, white bread, cheese log, Swiss cheese, bean soup, beef stew, yams, baked apples, plum pudding, gingerbread cookies, apple pie, fudge brownies, pumpkin pie and a spice cake. **

**Anastasia was delighted with the sight of all the food. "Now this is worthy of being a Christmas feast. It's early, but if this is the best I get for all of December I'll be satisfied." **

"**I'm sure you'll have other opportunities to eat good meals for the holidays." Cinderella said. "I guess it must be hard for you and your mother and sister with no one to do the cooking. You could try to learn some cooking skills from Ben."**

"**I'd be glad to teach you everything I know." Ben said to Anastasia. **

"**I don't think I can cook, no matter how good of a teacher I have. I just can't get all the ingredients together the right way, and then when I put them in the oven I forget about it and burn the food I was cooking. Plus I make a big mess." Anastasia said. **

"**I'll see what I can do to help you. You could at least help me out in my kitchen by washing the dishes and sweeping the floor." said Ben. I am offering you a job in my bakery. It will mean hard work cleaning up the place, but if you are willing I can pay you four silver coins a day." **

"**I've always wanted a job so I can have money of my own without having to go beg Mother for an allowance." Anastasia said. "And I will get to spend more time with you, Ben. I'll take the job." **


	4. Chapter 4: The Power of Goodbye

Lady Tremaine listened to the sound of her rebellious daughter Anastasia sneaking into the house by the back door. She told Anastasia that morning as they were preparing for church that she had better not go to Ben and Cinderella's church, but go along with her mother and sister to their family's church. Anastasia disobeyed and left early to go to Cinderella and Ben's church.

Anastasia had wiped the snow and mud off her shoes on the mat before entering the house. She tried to walk as quietly as she could. She reached the staircase and tried to tiptoe upstairs to her bedroom.

Lady Tremaine met her at the top of the stairs. "There you are, you little ingrate. I have been wondering when you would come home. You have disobeyed me and hung around this Ben for the last time. If you cannot obey my rules than you are not allowed to live in my house." Drizella had been in her room. She came out when she heard the commotion.

"But mother, it's winter with freezing cold ice and snow outside. Where would she go? Anastasia could freeze to death!" Drizella said, having some concern for her sister.

"I'm sure she could go to her good friend Cinderella at the palace. After all Cinderella has forgiven her for her past cruelty to her. Just like Cinderella has forgiven the rest of us, I'm sure. Remember Anastasia you gave Cinderella just as hard of a time a we did. Do you really think she'd want one of her former tormentors living under the same roof with her?"

"And then there's Ben…..I'm sure you could live in sin with him. If there's room in the dinky little hovel he lives in for you, that is. His church would certainly agree with a young man and a young woman living together without being married. His filthy shack must be so small you'd have to share a bedroom, and a bed. What would your father think? You would be ruined for marrying anyone else. I had high hopes and great plans for you, that one day you would marry a noble gentleman with great wealth. Are you going to throw it all away on your feelings for a temporary boyfriend too poor to give you what you need and what you want?

"Mother, just because people are poor does not make them inferior or worthless." Anastasia said. "There are many rich aristocrats who are bad people, they are snobs, they lie, cheat, earn money dishonestly, are cruel and petty and don't care about anyone but themselves. There are many good poor people. I've been to Ben Baker's house. It is not a shack or hovel, his house may be humble but it is quite nice. I'd rather live there than with you. I'm going to my room to pack my things."

Anastasia went into her bedroom and pulled down her suitcase from her closet and started taking out her warm winter clothes and putting them in the suitcase. She put her ice skates and hand mirror in the suitcase, her miniature portrait of her father, her diary, some sheets of paper for writing and closed it up. Anastasia then packed her purse with a sealed bottle of ink and pen, the money she had saved over the years, a hand mirror, hair comb and hair brush, tooth brush, compact of face powder, lipstick and hand lotion.

After she was through packing Anastasia left her room to find her mother outside the door.

"So you are taking off, just like that? How could you betray me like this Anastasia? I had such high hopes for you. All for a stupid boy, a fat baker!"

"Mother, Ben is a good baker, he really is not that fat. He is a good man, I love him. If only you would accept him! At least you should try the bread he bakes, or his delicious cakes and pies. Nothing Ben bakes is inferior, he has great talent as baker and pastry chef, he's made a wonderful career out of it. Do any of us around here have jobs? No! But look at Ben. He has a successful business doing something he loves. If you weren't so stuck on me and Drizella marrying rich aristocrats, then you would be proud to have Ben as a son-in-law, I think the other mothers in this town would."

Lady Tremaine gasped in shock. "What? Ben as a son-in-law? I will never allow it! If you marry that overgrown dough-squeezer I will never see you or speak to you again! Do you understand me?"

Anastasia looked in her mother's cold, hard, narrow cat-like green eyes as her own brown eyes filled with tears. "I understand you perfectly mother. I understand you're the worst mother anyone could ever have, and I hate you!" Sobbing, she ran down the stairs and out the front door out of the yard and down the road.

Lady Tremaine was not expecting Anastasia to continue with her defiance. She was shocked that Anastasia would not back down after she threatened to cut her off completely. She must really have fallen hard for that silly dough boy. Lady Tremaine was hurt and felt a lump in her throat. Now what was she going to do? She had lost her own daughter. She could not back down since she was the one that made the threat, she would be forced to carry out her own dread threat of abandoning her daughter to the whim of fate, and into the arms of a common village baker. If she backed down and wanted to contact Anastasia, then she would loose her reputation for her ice cold, hard heart and stern toughness. But what if Ben Baker refused to marry Anastasia? Lady Tremaine was not so cold and cruel that she really did want to see her daughter wind up a homeless beggar on the street, or a thief stealing food out of desperate hunger, or a cheap prostitute, since Anastasia would not have much luck selling her body with her homely looks. You never realize the value of what you have until its gone, and now at last Hortense Tremaine was realizing how much she loved her daughter Anastasia.

She slowly walked down the stairs, holding on to the rail for support, feeling dizzy. Lady Tremaine went into the dining room but could not find what she needed there. The kitchen was connected to the dining room. Slowly with reluctance she entered the kitchen, and poked her head out of the entrance way of the little hall with the stairs leading down to the kitchen; fearing Cinderella's presence could still be there, and the pretty little maid who had always been sweet and agreeable would bring her wrath upon her stepmother who cruelly forced her into a servant's place. Cinderella now lived in the palace with her new husband Prince Edward.

The kitchen was dirty and dusty, dirty dishes piled in the sink, dirt, dust, and food crumbs on the floor. The fireplace was filled with soot. Hortense ignored all this and searched in the cupboard. She found a bottle of sherry and a fairly clean glass. She poured her self a drink, toasted to the empty fireplace and gulped it down. Then she had another, and then another. When she had enough, she threw the glass at the sooty fireplace, hearing it shatter among the ashes and bricks. She felt like something inside her was breaking in two. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Feelings, emotions left buried for decades behind a wall of stoic selfishness and a cold, hardened heart, where all she cared for was wealth, prestige, pleasure and security, were fighting their way to the surface. Lady Tremaine started to sob, and her eyes watered with tears. She remembered her first husband, Anastasia and Drizella's father, the love of her life, and the heart break his death caused her. She remembered her second husband, Squire John Good, Cinderella's father, his kindness, gentleness and generosity to her that won her love, despite the fact that she took advantage of the trusting, caring naïve man for his money and tricked him into signing out his only real daughter from his will, she did love him in her own way. Feeling terribly guilty, the flood of emotions broke from the dam holding them back and Hortense Tremaine burst into tears, she laid her head on the dirty kitchen table and sat there crying, realizing how wrong she had been and feeling like she has lost everything. For now the wall of ice had been broken and was melting, and she felt the pain of hurts long past, and more even deeper pain from all the evil things she had done to hurt the innocent because of her anger and selfishness, she turned around and hurt others the same way she had been hurt. It never occurred to her to apologize, the sin in her heart spread like a cancer, and the Devil took hold of her and encouraged pride and arrogance in her, just like he did with her aristocratic parents. Now the Devil was losing his foothold, and feared she might repent, so he cleverly decided to plague her with guilt and make her feel she could never be forgiven. Lady Tremaine fell asleep in a drunken stupor, feeling her heart break like it did when her beloved husband Clarence died. If only she had help from God, if only an angel would guide her and tell her what to do. God was about to send her the one angel she needed most.


	5. Chapter 5: Welcome to the Palace

Anastasia put on her winter coat, boots, scarf, gloves, and hat after she was outside and had slammed the door. For double warmth she pulled the hood of her fur-lined coat up over the close-fitting fur cap she wore on her head, pulled down low over her forehead where it nearly covered her eyebrows and was just above her eyes. It was very cold, but it had stopped snowing and the wind was mostly still. There was a thick blanket of snow on the ground, Anastasia's boots left deep foot prints as she trudged through the snow out of her yard and outside the gate, down the road.

It grew colder as Anastasia walked down the road. Where would she go? She could go to Ben's house or to the palace to stay with Cinderella. Anastasia felt guilty relying on Cinderella's charity. After all she had taken part in her mother's abuse and bullying of Cinderella. She had been just as mean to her as Lady Tremaine and Drizella was. Perhaps she had done it out of jealousy because Cinderella was so much prettier and much more ladylike than she was. If only Anastasia could be like her. A lot of it had to do with boredom, and her mother had encouraged her natural daughters to pick on the stepdaughter she treated like a servant. Lady Tremaine always saw Cinderella as a threat. Her beauty and sweet nature attracted men, and it seemed Cinderella had won the most prized husband in the land, the prince, son and heir to the king. Lady Tremaine's fears had come true, but she still hoped she could make the best of the situation by marrying off Drizella and Anastasia to rich lords of the court. But Anastasia wanted a simpler life for herself. She loved the baker. It would be hard to give up luxuries she was raised with. But to be with someone you love, it's better to have less with happiness and love than to be rich an bitter and miserable.

Anastasia shivered. Would she have to walk all the way to town? All the way to Ben's house, or to the palace? She decided to go to Ben's bakery shop because it was closest. It should still be open, there was enough light left in the day to get there if she walked fast. She was getting colder and starting to shiver, wishing she could ride in a carriage or wagon, her legs were freezing and feeling numb.

Wagons would not be able to make it down this road, but sleighs made to slide through the snow would get through it with a good team of strong horses to pull the vehicle. During winter blacksmiths would exchange wagon wheels for sleigh's sliding runners so wagons and carriages go glide through the snow. Anastasia heard the bells of a sleigh ringing, coming behind her, and she quickly stepped out of the way to the side of the road.

A neighboring farmer was delivering firewood and barrels of cider and wine to the palace.

"Woe there" he stopped the horses. "Anastasia Tremaine, is that you? What in the name of the saints are you doing out walking in the cold like this? Does your mother know your out here?" he said.

"Hello Farmer Brunswick. I, um, I had a little falling out with Mother. I decided I decided to go to town and do some Christmas shopping…" Anastasia said nervously.

"Christmas shopping! You should have gone in the carriage. I see you have your suitcase and handbag. Are you planning on putting the presents you buy in that or are you running away from home? I'm sure you can settle whatever quarrel you had with your mother. I will give you a ride back to your house." Farmer Brunswick said, wanting to help her.

"No Farmer Brunswick, I'd rather have a ride into town, or to the palace or Ben's bakery. Mother kicked me out of the house because I am in love with Ben Baker. She has forbidden me from seeing him, and I cannot do that. There is nothing wrong with Ben or his business, I love him. The only reason mother hates him is because he's not rich enough to satisfy her."

Farmer Brunswick chewed his lip. "Well, it's getting colder and I don't want to stay here and argue all day. I know your mother can be uppity. I know Ben Baker is a good young man and I get all my baked good from his shop ever since my wife passed on. I am delivering this load of firewood and barrels of cider and wine to the palace. I'll take you to the castle, hop on." he held out his hand covered with a knitted wool glove and Anastasia climbed onto the wooden board seat next to him where the driver held the reigns and directed the horses pulling the carriage.

Farmer Brunswick ordered the horses to go and they moved on down the slippery snowy road.

"I would like to go to the palace with you and see Princess Cinderella." Anastasia said.

"I've heard the princess is awfully busy." Farmer Brunswick said. "But she may take time to see you, after all she is your stepsister."

They arrived at the palace and Farmer Brunswick went around back to the wine cellars where the servants unloaded the barrels and casks of spiced, mulled wine and cider for the Christmas season. King George had ordered special drinks for his household and guests to celebrate Christmas. These were some of the finest, sweetest spiced and warmed wines and ciders available, guaranteed delicious to the last drop. The servants also unloaded the firewood.

Anastasia met a boy who was a messenger, he knew almost everyone in the place. The boy liked to tease Anastasia when Cinderella was not around. The boy's name was Ethan.

"Guards, there's an abominable snowman in the courtyard." Ethan said. "Or is that a snow-woman? It has blood all in it's hair, its hair is bloody red. Did you kill that crazy cat of yours in a Satanic ritual and use the blood to dye your hair red?"

"Ethan, you, you punk, stop with your comments about my hair. I'm a natural redhead. If I wanted to dye my hair, I wouldn't choose the color red.

"But it's Christmas, your red hair does go with the Christmas season, maybe you should add some green and white streaks." The guards began to laugh at Ethan's comments. Ethan had brown hair and brown eyes himself. However he was short.

"Maybe you should work for Santa Claus at the North Pole, you're the right size for an elf." Anastasia retorted. "Now go find Cinderella and tell her I'm here. I have a problem I need to talk with her about."

"That's Princess Cinderella to you. I don't see why she should help you, mean stepsister." Ethan left and went inside the palace halls to find Cinderella.

"Humph! That youngster needs to learn some manners if he wants to continue working at the palace." A voice near Anastasia said. She turned around and saw the guard in uniform mumbling to himself.

"I guess I am also just as rude." She said softly.

"No, miss, he baited you on."

"My mother always used manners and etiquette as a weapon to hurt those who were ignorant about such things, to elevate herself above the poor and common. She taught me to do the same. But Cinderella, she has real charm. After what we did to her she forgave us."

" You will find many people like that at the palace. But not the king and prince. Princess Cinderella has really brightened up life in the place. She's even made old Prudence smile. For so long things were stuck in one long boring monotonous chain of tradition, now someone has broken the chains and we can be free to live a little."

Anastasia looked thoughtfully at the guard. He was older than most of the guards, being middle-aged, in his late thirties or early forties, while the other guards were strapping young men in their twenties, training to be a guard started while in the early teens. His uniform was spotlessly clean and wrinkle free. His helmet and boots were highly polished. He had bluish gray eyes with a sparkle of vitality, wisdom and kindness. "What is your name, sir?"

The guard saluted. "Lieutenant Travis O'Neil at your service, miss."

He clicked his heels.

Anastasia returned the salute. "Anastasia Tremaine, stepsister to Princess Cinderella. Please to meet you."

At that moment, Ethan returned. "Your ugliness, her royal highness Princess Cinderella wants to meet you in the tea parlor. Cinderella has been decorating the place for Christmas. Now that you're here, she wants you to help with the decorating. Plus you've been outside to long. Come inside the palace and warm up before you turn into the most hideous ice sculpture of the season."

"You watch your mouth young man, you would do well to treat the princess' stepsister with more respect. The royals will only put up with so much of your teasing insults." Travis O'Neil warned the mischievous adolescent.

Ethan only laughed at him. Anastasia went inside. A chamber maid named Lisa met her and said, "Oh Miss Anastasia, you must be freezing! I will fetch you a mug of hot chocolate. Let me take your coat. Right this way is the parlor room, we keep all the fire places lit during winter. Lisa wrapped a blanket around Anastasia's shoulders after taking her coat which had dusting of snow on it.

"This will help keep you warm. Anastasia took off her boots and gloves. She kept her scarf on for warmth. It would be a while before she would fully thaw out and get warm again. Lisa took her down the maze of halls and into the large parlor where Christmas was celebrated with the royal family. Already garlands of holly, evergreen boughs and pinecones, spruces, Christmas roses, ivy, and a few sprigs of mistletoe were hung along the castle walls and ceilings, red velvet ribbons and bows, little brass and silver bells hung with them, from the stair case rails, chandeliers and window frames. Miniature nativity scene figures were placed on tables in obvious view. Tapestries with Christmas scenes and designs were hung on the walls. Christmas stockings hung from the fireplace. The regular decorations of porcelain figures had been changed to Christmas theme, there were several beautiful Christmas angels, Father Christmas or Santa Claus figures, elves, ginger bread houses, gingerbread boys and girls, cardinal birds, nativity figures, and snowmen. In the parlor was a beautiful, tall Christmas tree. The children were decorating it with beautiful glass balls and bells made by expert glassblowers in bright colors.

Cinderella was in the parlor helping the children, the royal nephews, nieces and cousins of the king and prince decorate the tree. She held up one little girl in a purple dress so she could put the angel on the top.

"Your Highness." Lisa said after they were through decorating the tree.

Cinderella turned and saw them.

"Anastasia!" Cinderella exclaimed. "It's so nice to see you again! Welcome to Christmas at the palace!" But what are you doing here?" Shouldn't you be home with your family?"

"That's just the problem, Cinderella. My family doesn't want me anymore. Mother got so angry with me for seeing Ben, for disobeying her wishes and going to church with Ben that she kept her word and she banished me from the house. Actually, I was the one who left. I couldn't stand to stay with her and here her constant nagging and scolding, to here her put Ben down, and put me down. She doesn't even want to give Ben a chance. What's wrong with being a baker?" Anastasia said.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with being a baker. The problem is with your mother." Cinderella replied. "She wants you and your sister to marry rich gentlemen, because she fears losing her property and becoming poor. I hope you don't regret that I introduced you to Ben Baker, and helped put you two together. "

Oh no, I love Ben very much, I am so glad you helped me find him. I need to get away from mother anyway. I hope Drizella finds her freedom too. I need help though. I need a place to stay. Could I stay here in one of the palace guest rooms?" Anastasia begged her stepsister for shelter.

"Of course, how could I turn you away? I pushed you in the right direction with Ben. We will see what happens with Lady Tremaine when she does not get her way. There is plenty of room at the palace. I think we should tell Ben what your mother did to try to stop you from being with him. I will tell Lisa to prepare one of the guest bedrooms. " Cinderella said. She told Lisa to prepare one of the guest bedrooms for Anastasia.

Cinderella went to introduce Anastasia to the children.

"Children, this is my dear sister Anastasia. Anastasia, this is Duchess Cornelia, daughter of Duke Henry, Brother to King George. She is the eldest of the children." Duchess Cornelia was twelve years old and had long wavy dark brown hair held back by a gold hair comb set with garnets at the back of her head. She wore a long Tuscan red velvet dress with long tight sleeves trimmed in white lace cuffs and high lace collar with a garnet brooch set in gold. Cornelia nodded her head and curtsied for Anastasia.

" Bonsoir Mademoiselle." She said. French was in at a lot of royal households.

The next child was a nine year old boy with blond curly hair, freckles and sea green eyes, tall and a bit chubby. "This is Prince Seymour, son of Princess Selena, King George's cousin. He wore a dark green velvet suit for aristocratic little boys.

Seymour bowed and shook Anastasia's hand. "How do you do?" he said.

"I am doing very well, thanks to Cinderella." Anastasia said.

The other child was seven, another little boy. "This is Count Maximilian, or Little Max, as we call him, because his father is also named Count Maximilian. Maximilian was dressed in a navy wool broadcloth suit made for royal children. The little boy bowed as well as he could but did not say anything.

The last child was a five year old little girl named Duchess Emily. She had on a cute taffeta purple dress trimmed in white lace and lavender roses. She had a lace cap with a lavender rose decorating her chestnut ringlets. She curtsied cutely holding one foot out and holding out the skirt of her dress at the side. She smiled, showing dimples and said,

"Pleased to meet Princess Cinderella's friend. I'm a princess too I think."

Anastasia giggled. Nice to meet you all. I'm not a princess, and I don't think I will ever be one. But it's nice to have a friend for a princess. I might marry the baker, if he will have me.

"None of you have ever met my friend Ben Baker." Cinderella said. "He will come by the palace this evening with a delivery of cakes, pies and cookies. Each one of you will receive a special cookie from Ben Baker."

"Yay!" The children shouted with glee.

"Anastasia, will you join us for dinner in the palace this evening? I'm sure Prince Charles and King George would like to see you again." Cinderella asked.

"I would like to have dinner, but you know how nervous I am in front of the king and prince." And my dress is a mess, it is wet and dirty with snow, I must see if I have a dress suitable to wear in my suitcase." Anastasia was worried about embarrassing herself.

"Don't worry, I'm sure the king and prince will be nice. We have plenty of fine dresses that will fit you at the palace. I will help you get ready." Cinderella said.


End file.
